324      DISTRIBUTION  OF  NITROGENATED  COMPOUNDS,  ETC. 
obtained  by  treating  tbe  material  with  caustic  soda,  distilling 
with  strong  alcohol  and  collecting  in  muriatic  acid.  The  albu- 
men was  estimated  from  the  amount  of  nitrogen  obtained  by  de- 
ducting the  nitrogen  contained  in  the  alkaloid,  nitric  acid,  am- 
monia and  nitrogenated  resin  (present  mainly  in  the  seeds)  from 
the  entire  amount  of  nitrogen  contained  in  the  plant  and  esti- 
mated by  elementary  analysis. 
Hyoscyamia  is  best  prepared  from  the  bruised  seeds,  which 
must  be  previously  exhausted  by  petroleum  ether  to  free  it  from 
fixed  oil.  The  seeds  are  now  exhausted  by  alcohol  acidulated 
with  a  little  muriatic  acid,  the  alcohol  is  distilled  off,  so  that  the 
residue  weighs  about  one-fifth  of  the  original  weight  of  the  seeds, 
half  the  quantity  of  water  is  added,  the  alcohol  entirely  evapo- 
rated, the  resin  filtered  off  and  the  filtrate  evaporated  in  vacuo 
to  one-half.  It  is  now  agitated  with  chloroform  to  remove  color- 
ing matter,  then  supersaturated  with  potassa  and  again  repeat- 
edly agitated  with  chloroform.  The  chloroformic  solution  of  the 
alkaloid  is  agitated  with  water  slightly  acidulated  with  muriatic 
acid,  which,  on  evaporation,  yields  yellowish  white  muriate  of 
hyoscyamia  crystallizing  in  needles  united  in  the  shape  of  a 
cross.  One  kilogramme  yields  about  half  a  grm.  If  the 
aqueous  solution  is  treated  with  potassa  and  agitated  with 
chloroform  (or  benzine)  the  pure  alkaloid  will,  on  evaporation, 
be  left  behind  in  fine  needles  ;  ether  and  amylic  alcohol  will 
yield  it  in  an  uncrystallized  state. 
The  analyses  of  Hyosc.  niger  for  1868  refer  to  plants  or  parts 
of  plants  collected  from  seven  different  localities,  the  third 
columns  of  each  series  to  plants  from  the  botanical  garden  at 
Dorpat.  Hyosc.  niger  analysed  in  1869,  and  H.  albus  analysed 
in  1868  and  69  were  raised  in  the  same  botanical  garden. 
Hyoseyamus  albus,  1868.     Percentage  for  the  dry  material. 
Leayes, 
Sums, 
Roots, 
Fruits  and  SeetJs, 
Before  flovrering 
(beginning  of  June.) 
Flowering  plants 
(middle  of  August.) 
Fruit  bearing  plants 
(middle  of  Sept.) 
Alkaloid. 
Saltpetre, 
Alkaloid. 
Saltpetre. 
Alkaloid. 
Saltpetre. 
0-588 
0-012 
0-128 
1-325 
0-078 
0-064: 
0-359 
0-036 
0-146 
1-378 
0-072 
0-039 
0-211 
0027 
0-106 
0162 
1-104 
0-041 
0-039 
